‘Botcha Buster’ system developed by high school students aims to help detect double-dead meat

Students from San Miguel National High School introduced an innovation designed to detect botcha, or double-dead meat, with the help of artificial intelligence.

According to Martin Javier’s report on “24 Oras,” Friday, the device–app system, called Botcha Buster, was developed to address the risks of consuming double-dead meat, which can cause diarrhea, food poisoning, and other illnesses.

“Ang Botcha Buster po kasi ay isang machine-integrated robot po na kung saan nakaka-help po sa atin na makapag-detect po ng isang spoiled meat,” developer Al Sanguyo said.

It is equipped with three key features that work together with a connected mobile app, including an AI-powered camera that analyzes the appearance of meat.

“Nag-shot po kami ng hundreds na pictures ng karne, which is ang double-dead po tsaka fresh. Then pinasok po namin siya sa AI, ‘yun po ang pinang-train namin para malaman ng camera kung double-dead ba siya or hindi,” developer Jude Evan Belolo said.

The device also has a gas sensor that measures ammonia and hydrogen sulfide released by the meat, substances that tend to spike in botcha.

The Botcha Buster is also fitted with a pH sensor that checks whether the meat’s pH level has risen beyond 6.1, a sign that it is no longer fresh.

A small piece of meat is placed inside a chamber to measure its pH level before the device sends the reading to the app.

All three tests are analyzed simultaneously, with the results displayed through the Botcha Buster app.

For now, the system is optimized for pork, but the students plan to expand its capability.

“Ang future plans po namin dito is gawin po naming puwede na siya sa manok, sa fish, tsaka po sa beef,” Jude said.

—Carby Rose Basina/CDC, GMA Integrated News